Ice-cutting machine.



PATENTED NOV. 7, 1905.

I. BUYD.

-ICE CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED .TUNE 30, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 804,091. PATENTED NOV. 7, 1905. I. BOYD.

ICB CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1904.

@XM/Www W @brom/mg.

irrrnn sirafrns 'FFlQlll P rrrnnfr Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 7, 1905.

Application filed June 30, 1904. Serial No. 214,803.

Be it known that I, IRA BOYD, a citizen of the United States, residingat Pondhill, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Ice- Cutting Machine, of which the followingis a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in ice-cutting machines.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofice-cutting machines and to provide a simple and eiiicient one adaptedto carry its motive power and capable of rapidly cutting ice into cakesof the desired size.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ice-cutting machineof this character adapted to accurately cut ice into strips of thedesired width and capable of automatically breaking the strips intocakes of the desired size, thereby obviating the necessity of sawing astrip of ice transversely to divide it into cakes.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointedout in the claims hereto appended, it being under stood that variouschanges in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of constructionwithin the scope of the claims maybe resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ice-cuttingmachine constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a planview of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

1 designates a supporting-frame consisting of a suitable platformmounted upon wheels and carrying the ice-cutting mechanism. The frame isprovided at opposite sides with suitable bearings 2 for the reception ofa rear axle 3, which is provided with propelling orl traction wheels 4,having spurs or rojections at its periphery for engaging t e ice. Therear axle is located slightly in rear of the center of the machine, andthe front of the frameis supported by front wheels 5, arranged on thejournals of a front axle 6. The

A front axle is pivotally connected with the frame by a king-bolt orvertical pivot 7, which carries a sprocket-wheel 8, and the latter isconnected with a sprocket-pinion 9 of a steering-shaft 10, whereby theaxle is turned to change the direction of the machine. The verticalsteering-shaft extends through a 'fixed tube or sleeve 11 and isprovided at its upper end with a handle-bar 12 or other suitable meansfor partially rotating it. It is locked in its adjusted position bymeans of a dog or pawl 13, pivotally mounted on the upper portion of thesteering-shaft and arranged to engage the teeth of a horizontalratchet-wheel 14. The horizontal ratchetwheel 14 is fixed to the upperend of the tube or sleeve. When the steering-shaft is partially rotated,motion is communicated to the axle through the sprocket-gearing, and themachine may be readily turned in either direction. The front wheels arealso provided at their peripheries with spurs or projections forengaging the ice to prevent them from slipping. The vertical tube orsleeve extends through the platform and depends from the same, asclearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Mounted upon the rear portion of the frame in suitable bearings is atransverse drive-shaft 15, which is driven by an engine 16 or othersuitable motor and is connected with the same by a belt 17 but anyrotherform of gearing, either sprocket or spur, or any other means may beemployed for communicating motion from the engine to the drive-shaft.The belt 17 is arranged on suitable pulleys 18 and 19 of the engine anddrive-shaft, respectively. The drive-shaft is connected with the rearaxle by a train of spur-gearing; but any other form of gearing may beemployed for this purpose. pinion 19a is keyed or otherwise fixed to thedrive-shaft and meshes with a gear-wheel 2() of a counter-shaft 21,which carries a pinion 22. The pinion 22 meshes with a gear-wheel 23,which is keyed or otherwise fixed to the rear axle. The number anddiameter of the .gears may be varied to drive the machine at A spur- IOOIIO

side sills or beams of the main or supporting frame. The rotary orcircular saw 28 is fixed to the outer end of the saw arbor or shaft,which carries a sprocket-pinion 29 at its inner end, and thesprocket-wheel 29 is connected by a sprocket chain 30 with asprocket-wheel 31 of the drive-shaft. The sprocket-gearing, whichcommunicates motion from the drive-shaft of the saw-arbor, permits thesaw-carrying frame to oscilliate to raise and lower the saw; but anyother form of gearing may be employed for communicating motion from thedrive-shaft to the saw-arbor. As the machine advances the saw, which isoperated simultaneously with the traction or propelling wheels, cuts akerf in the ice, as will be readily apparent, and the saw is adaptedtobe adjusted vertically to suit the thickness of the ice. Also saws ofvarious diameters may be employed.

The sides of the yoke pierce the sides of the oscillatory saw-carryingframe and are provided with nuts 32 for engaging the same. Theadjusting-lever, which extends longitudinally of the machine, is locatedat one side thereof, being fulcrumed on a post or support 33, whichextends upward from the supporting-frame. The rear end of theadjusting-lever is provided with an eye or bearing 34, and the front armoperates in an opening 35 of a post 86, preferably composed of two sidepieces spaced apart and suitably connected. The post is provided atintervals with perforations 37 for the reception of a pin 38, which alsopierces the adjusting-lever, whereby the saw is secured in itsadjustment. After the machine has cut one kerf in the ice the machine isreturned toits startingoint, and a rotary guide-wheel 39, which isocated at a point beyond the plane of the saw, is arranged in the kerffor guiding the `machine, whereby cakes of ice may be accurately cut thedesired width. The guide is adjustable both laterally of the machine andvertically, and it is supported by an open frame 40 of approximatelyrectan ular form, provided at opposite sides with s ots 4l for thereception of bolts 42 or other suitable fastening devices, which alsopass through slots 43 of horizontal bars 44. The bars 44, which aredisposed transversely of the machine, are secured at their inner ends tothe front axle, at the front and rear faces thereof, and are angularlybent to clear the adjacent front wheel. The slots, which may be of anydesired length, permit the frame 40 to be moved outward and inward, andthe bolts form pivots when adjusting the guide-wheel vertically, as theypermit the frame 40 to swing upward and downward. The guidecarryingframe is supported or braced by a chain 45, arranged at a slight angleto the front side of the frame 40 and having one of its outer linksengaging a hook 46 of the said frame 40. The chain is secured at itsinner versely for that purpose.

portion to the supporting-frame by a bolt having a removable nut 47. Thebolt of the su porting-frame passes through one of the lins, and its nut47 engages the same. By means of the fastenin devices of thesupporting-frame and the ook of the guide-carrying frame the chain maybe varied in length to suit the position of the guide-carrying frame 40.

The ice is weakened by a blade 48 to enable it to be easily andaccurately broken into cakes, and this blade is secured to avertically-movable ice-breaking frame 49, which is automaticallyoperated by the means hereinafter described to break into cakes thestrip of ice cut by the machine, thereby obviating the necessity ofsawing the ice trans- The verticallymovable ice-breaking frame issubstantially U-shaped to form a yoke, which is provided at its bottomwith a horizontal bar 50, extending in advance and in rear of the frame.The blade 48 is arranged transversely of the machine at the front end ofthe bar 50, which is disposed longitudinally of the machine and which isprovided at its rear end with a block or piece 51, forming anice-engaging head and adapted to engage and break the ice in rear of thesaw. The transverse blade 48,

which extends across the strip to be broken,

is provided with a lower cutting edge, and it is adapted to weaken theice, and thereby assist in breaking the same. The verticallymovableice-breaker is guided by a vertical rod 52, depending from thelaterally-extending bar 58 of the supporting-frame and piercing the yokeor frame 49 and the bar 50. The lower portion of the guide-rod issupported by a brace 54, on which is seated a cushioning-spring 55,adapted to cushion the ice-breaker. The coiled spring is interposedbetween the brace 54 and the top of the yoke.

The icebreaker is provided at the top of the yoke with eyes, into whichare linked corresponding eyes of the arms of a forked lever 56,fulcrumed between its ends on a suitable support 57 and connected at itsinner end to the rear end of a longitudinally-disposed operating-lever57` The operating-lever, which is fulcrumed between its ends on asuitable support 58, has its front end arranged adjacent to one of thetraction-wheels 4, which is provided with tappets 59, adapted to engageand oscillate the longitudinal lever. l/Vhen the front end of thelongitudinal lever 57 is raised, the outer arm of the transverse lever56 will also be raised, and the ice-breaker will be permitted to dropand break the ice as soon as the tappet releases or disengages itselffrom the longitudinal lever 57. The

traction or propelling wheels may be of any desired number, and anynumber of tappets may be employed to cause cakes of the desired size tobe broken off by the machine.

Having thus fully described my invention,

IOS

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an ice-cutting machine, the combination with cutting mechanism, ofmeans for automatically striking the ice'at intervals for breaking cakesof the desired size, and a transverselydisposed blade movable with thesaid striking means and connected between its ends with the same,substantially as described.

2. In an ice-cutting machine, the combination with cutting mechanism, ofan icebreaker arranged to strike partially-severed ice for breaking thesame into cakes, a transverse blade located in advance of and carried bythe ice-breaker and means for operating the ice-breaker, substantiallyas described.

3. In an ice-cutting machine, the combination with cutting mechanism, ofan icebreaker arranged to engage partially-severed ice for breaking thesame into cakes, means for operating the ice-breaker at intervals, andmeans carried by the ice-breaker for weakening the ice at the placewhere it is to bel broken, substantially as described.

4. In an ice-breaking machine, the combination with cutting mechanism,of an icebreaker provided with a blade for weakening the ice and meanscarried by the ice-breaker in rear of thebladefor striking the ice tobreak the same, substantially as described.

5. In an ice-cutting machine, the combination of a main frame, wheelssupporting the same, one of the wheels being provided with a tappet, anice-breaker located at one side of the main frame, a transverse levermounted on thev main frame and connected at its outer end with theice-breaker, and a longitudinal lever also mounted on the frame andhaving one end arranged in the path of the said tappet, the other end ofthe longitudinal lever being connected with the inner end of thetransverse lever, substantially as described.

6. In an ice-cutting machine, the combination with cutting mechanism, ofan ice breaker arranged to strike the partially-severed ice, a bladecarried by the ice-breaker for weakening the ice, a cushioning-springarranged in the path of the ice-breaker, a rotary element provided witha tappet, a vibratory lever arranged in the path of the tappet, andmeans for connecting the lever With the ice-breaker, substantially asdescribed.

7. In an ice-cutting machine, the combination of a main frame providedwith a vertical guide, a vertically-movable ice-breaker mounted on theguide and provided with ice engaging means, a lever disposed transversey of the machine and connected with the ice-breaker, a lever extendinglongitudinally of the machine and connected with the transverse lever,and a rotary element having a tappet for engaging the longitudinallever, substantially as described.

8. In an ice-cutting machine, the combination with a supporting-frame,and cutting mechanism, of a vertically movable ice breaker guided on thesupporting-frame and comprising a yoke, a bar secured to the yoke, andan ice-engaging head arranged at the rear end of the bar, means foroperating the ice-breaker, and a transverse blade arranged at the frontend of the bar, substantially as described.

9. In an ice-machine, the combination with means for cuttinglongitudinal kerfs in ice, of a transverse blade arranged to-extendacross the space between the kerfs to chip or weaken the ice at thepoint where it is to be broken, and means located in rear of the bladefor striking the ice to break the latter, substantially as described.

10. The combination of a frame, an axle provided with wheels, cuttingmechanism, a guide-carrying frame mounted on the axle at the inner sideof one ofthe wheels and receiving the latter and extending beyond thesame, and a guide mounted on the outer portion of the guide-carryingframe, substantially as described.

11. In an ice-cutting machine, the combination of a frame, a front axlepivotally connected with the frame, wheels mounted on the front axle,supporting bars extendin laterally Jfrom one side of the frame anmounted on the front axle and provided between their ends with pins toclear the adjacent wheel, said bars being slotted, a transverserectangular frame having slotted sides, a guide carried by therectangular frame, and fastening devices passing through the slots ofthebars and the rectangular frame and securing the latter in itsadjustment, substantially as described.

12. An ice-cutting machine provided with an ice-breaker provided at thefront with a transverse blade for weakening the ice to be broken, saidice-breaker being also provided at the back with a head for engaging theice to break the same, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

, IRA BOYD.

Witnesses:

D. O. COUGHLIN, CHAs. A. SHEA.

IOO

IIO

